The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-03-04
sENSELESS HILARITY.
saltLake City, Utah.

At this writing the Edmunds-Tucker
bill is still bill. There is some show
of rejoicing on the street over the al
legged approval of the measure by the
President, and some reckless, irrespon-
siDle newspapers have issucd' bulletins
and pretended dispatches asserting that
the bill has been signed by the hand
necessary to give it life and force. How
ever, the bill is not yet law, and no
dispatch has come from Washington
announcing its approval, bulletins and
alleged specials to the contrary not
withstanding. It may be regarded by
some as enterprising Journalism to cir
culate false rumors and manufacture
specials" with which to deceive the
public, but whatever such may think of
that class Of enterprise, Z" other people
hold it to be the rankest kind of
fraud, and regret that there is not q
law 10 punish the miscreants who will
be guilty of such disreputable and
scoundrelly abuse of an honorable pro q.
fession.
AS remarked, up to this writing no
Information has been received of
the approval of the bill, and
The HERALD retains its belief that
the measure will never become
law. We have never been able to
bring ourselves to believe that Dem
ocratic President would approve the
measure. A President claiming belief
in the doctrines of the Democratic
party, and having respect for the Con-
stitution and for the rights of indiYidual
citizens, would have to belle his pro-
fessions and go back on the principles
and practices of the Democracy, before
he could lend his helping hand to so
unjust and unconstitut measure.
A bogus Democrat playing for popular
plaUdits, or demagogue, caring moth
ing for principle, but always with an
eye to self-advancement, or moral
coward politically, might give his
sanction to the bill; but it is thought
that Mr.. Cleveland is above the tricks
OF the demagogue, while it is certain
he is not moral coward. He may err
in judgment, as he sometimes has done,
but what he deems right he has the
moral and the political courage to do.
If ne shall approve the bill, and thus
make it part of the law of the land,
THE HERALD will have to confess its
grievous disappointment in the man.
But why all this noisy rejoicing, this
vulgar jubilation on the part of the so
called Loyal Leaguers? The law can
not help them in the least. In two or
three particulars it may be construed
By partisan courts in such way as to
annoy few Mormons, and put them
to trouble and expense; but his will not
aid the Loyal Leaguers. 1t cannot help
one man to see another made to suffer
unjusty; it will not benefit Jones il
Smith shall be robbed, provided none
of the plumber shall go to Jones; there
ban be no pleasure in the narrowing o,
the rights of one if your own privileges
are not thereby enlarged. However
severely the law may be made to bear
On few Mormons it can in no par
ticular change the political status OF
affairs in Utah. 1t has been deprived
Of all its sharper stings and the few
aBgs remaining are blunt, and are il
capable of deep penetration. The grand
steal that was contemplated by the
gang of adventurous scoundrels who
leyised the bill and who have worked
10 industriously for its passage,
las been effectually strangled.
The scheme for turning the Territory
bver to an ex-rebel to be ruled by him
q all the details of government as his
uerrilla proclivities should suggest,
las been squelched, and the fellow who
plotted to be King has been left the
most insignificant of officials, with
reputation for fairness and justice most
iisastrously wrecked. Despite the
enom that was crowded into the
measure, and the scoundrelism to
7hich it opened the door, the bill as it
ow stands recognizes to a certain
egree, the good old Democratic
oCtrine. that in this republic MAORI
les have the right to rule. In Utah
be Mormons happen to. be over
7helmingly in the majority, and the
i'll leaves it with them to govern
themselves. and manage their own
fairs. The adventurous crew. who
yere counting so confidently on
period devoted to fat plumber, and
me of vicious, inhuman persecution of
ne Mormons. will DE no nearer the goal
their expectations, if this bill shall
approved by the President, than they
ere a year and more ago, when the
riginal Edmunds bill passed the Senate.
There is nothing in the bill that should
ause any of the Loyal League the elst
egree of hilsrity. There is nothing i'll
which will make matters better for